


Ignorance is Bliss

by purewanderlust



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-11
Updated: 2012-06-11
Packaged: 2017-11-07 11:51:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/430852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purewanderlust/pseuds/purewanderlust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ash notices a lot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ignorance is Bliss

The first time Ash sees the Winchesters, he knows a couple of things right away.  
  
The first time he looks at the taller of the two strangers, fenced in by the Harvelle women, eyes sparking with determination, he knows there's more to these two than run-of-the-mill hunting. The slump of the short man's shoulders also indicates grief, and perhaps a hint of resignation, suggesting that death and destruction follow these boys even more than they do the typical hunter.  
  
Then they introduce themselves and explain where they came from and the glint in Ellen's eye tells him one more thing. Two seconds of aquaintance or not, these boys are family now.  
  
They won't be the first orphans Ellen's taken on. Witness the mullet-wearing MIT dropout living in her back room.  
  
He trusts them because Ellen does, but he doesn't like the way the older of the brothers looks at Jo. There's no threat in his cool green assessing gaze, but it raises Ash's hackles nonetheless. He's always been fiercely protective of Jo, but the aching want had joined sooner rather than later, so it was no surprise now to feel a wave of jealousy as Jo swept her hair out of her eyes and laughed at something Dean had said.   
  
Dean's a good guy--a world saving kind of guy--and he and his brother have given Ash a new project with all of that research of their father's. That's great for a guy like Ash, who gets bored sometimes, but it doesn't quite endear him to Dean.   
  
He's always had a bias when it comes to Jo Harvelle.   
  
The thing is, though, this... _thing_  he has for Jo, it could never go anywhere, even if she didn't look at him as an older brother. There's Ellen to contend with, and if that woman weren't terrifying enough all on her own,  _now_  there' s also Jo's unswerving obsession with Dean Winchester.  
  
But that's doomed too, Ash knows. Sure, Dean likes tail as much as the next red-blooded hunter, and there's no denying he's noticed Jo in a more than platonic way. But when it comes to love--earth-shattering, heart-wrenching love--there's only one person that Dean's ever seen.  
  
(If maybe Jo looked at brothers the way  _Dean_  seems to, Ash would have a chance.)  
  
But then again, maybe not, because Sam Winchester is just as oblivious to Dean's devotion as Jo is to Ash's. The younger Winchester is erratic and unteathered, still reeling and mourning the loss of his college sweetheart, while his brother pines quietly from the driver's seat. Ash would never admit it to another living soul, but watching the two boys struggle along is one of the most painful things he's ever seen.  
  
 _Oh, what a tangled web we weave_ , Ash thinks, then scowls at himself. He didn't ditch academia so he could become like one of those maudlin fuckers from the Lit Departmnet, bemoaning their unrequited loves through Shakespeare and Blake, but never actually growing the balls to do something about it.  
  
Not that Ash is going to do anything about it, but it's the principle of the matter. He went to high school just like everyone else, and he's very aware of the phrase "out of your league" and how well it fits to his situation with Jo Harvelle.  
  
Ash likes to think he's a pretty upbeat sort of dude, especially considering the shit he's seen, but sometimes he allows himself to mourn a little. Because fact of the matter is, as much as poets go on about that shit, unrequited love  _really_  sucks ass.  
  
"Grab another case from the basement, Ash?" Ellen asks, sweeping past to break up a tussle that's started in the corner and he starts, pulled from his morose headspace unpleasantly.  
  
He tips his head towards the older woman and gets to his feet to head down to the basement for more beer. Ellen gives him an appreciative grin and then cocks the shotgun in her hands loudly. Ash smirks and troops down the stairs. Tough as steel, Ellen Harvelle, and there's no one in the world Ash respects more. Which makes the whole Jo situation that much worse.  
  
When Ash gets back to the top of the stairs, Ellen and Jo are standing side by side at the bar, earlier disturbance apparently taken care of. Jo's taken her apron off, has it draped over her bare shoulder, and is twisting her bright hair up into a ponytail at the back of her head. Ash stares at the smooth curve of her neck for a split second and then jerks his eyes away, just as Ellen turns towards him.  
  
"We're outta pretzels again," she says, an exhasperated look on her face. "Gonna go grab a few more bags. Hold the fort down for me?"  
  
Ash gives her a mock salute. "Ma'am, yes ma'am." Ellen grins and Jo turns to them with a laugh, her sunshine-bright smile blinding him for a moment.  
  
"Why don't you ever talk so pretty to me, Ash?" she says, perfect eyebrow arched, her eyes gleaming playfully.  
  
"You don't scare me as much as your momma does." he answers honestly, and is rewarded with the tinkling sound of her laughter again.  
  
"Don't you ever forget it." Ellen puts in, shouldering her purse, "C'mon Joanna Beth."  
  
Jo sidles past Ash, bumping their shoulders together companionably. "See ya in a little bit," she tosses over her shoulder, and then the Harvelle ladies are gone. Ash feels a little bit lonely for a moment, but it passes quickly enough. It's quiet enough in the bar, so Ash goes back to tracking the Winchesters' demon on his computer, one eye on the patrons. He's almost got a pattern worked out and he thinks another hour or so of careful study should get him exactly what he needs.   
  
Ellen and Jo have been gone less than fifteen minutes when the door explodes inward and a man with yellow eyes surveys the room coldly. He stinks of sulfur, and Ash reaches slowly for the rock salt shotgun under the counter.  
  
Another hunter seems to have picked up on it, too, but he doesn't bother with subtlety, drawing his pistol swiftly and firing off a shot at the stranger.  
  
The hunter's head twists sharply of its own accord, his neck snapping before the bullet even reaches the interloper.  
  
"How boring," the demon sighs, "I was hoping for a little bit of entertainment." Abruptly, all the windows and doors slam shut and the whole building goes up in flames. The demon's yellow eyes snag on Ash's for a split-second and he smirks and vanishes.  
  
Ash knows there's no escaping before any of the screams even reach him, and he has just enough time to send up a prayer of thanks that Ellen and Jo-- _his_  Jo--aren't here for this before he hears the splintering crack of a crossbeam overhead and every thing goes black.


End file.
